Electronic cigarette carry case device and method

ABSTRACT

An electronic cigarette container has a case body. A lid is attached to the case body. A blister type packaging is retained within the case body, wherein the blister type package has a plurality of blister cavities for holding a cartridge

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This invention is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application entitled “Electronic Cigarette Carry Case and Method”, having Ser. No. 61/497,406, filed Jun. 15, 2011, in the name of the same inventor and which application is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to a cigarette/cigar product, and more specifically, to a container for storing and removing an electronic cigarette/cigar cartridge.

Electronic cigarettes/cigars (hereinafter electronic cigarettes) are becoming popular alternative smoking products. Presently, most electronic cigarettes are distributed in closed rectangular containers similar to conventional cigarettes. These containers do not allow one to see the actual product. Further, with present containers, it is difficult to place the containers on a display to show the product. Present, containers are generally stacked on top of one another which do not allow packaging/labeling on the containers to be properly displayed.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device and method that overcomes the above problems.

SUMMARY

An electronic cigarette container has a case body. A lid is attached to the case body. A blister type packaging is retained within the case body, wherein the blister type package has a plurality of blister cavities for holding a cartridge.

An electronic cigarette container has a case body. A lid is attached to the case body. A blister type packaging is retained within the case body, wherein the blister type package has a plurality of blister cavities for holding a cartridge for an electronic smoking device. An opening is formed on a bottom section of the case body exposing the blister type packaging when the blister type packaging is retained in the case body. A lidding seal is formed over the opening. A safety seal is formed over the lidding seal.

An electronic cigarette container has a case body. A lid is attached to the case body. An insert is positioned within the case body, the insert having a plurality of first cavities to house a smoking device cartridge therein.

The features, functions, and advantages may be achieved independently in various embodiments of the disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, bottom view of a carry case device consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating removal of a protective lining.

FIG. 2 is a perspective, bottom view of a carry case device consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating removal of a cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, top view of a carry device consistent with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a carry device consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the device in an open configuration.

FIG. 5 is an end view of a carry device consistent with the embodiment of FIG. 4, illustrating two alternate configurations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a carry device consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the device in an open configuration.

FIG. 7 is an end view of a carry device consistent with the embodiment of FIG. 6, illustrating two alternate configurations.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a carry device consistent with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of an insert portion of the carry device of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the carry device of FIG. 8, in a closed configuration.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the carry device of FIG. 8 with an alternate beveled edge, in a closed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns electronic cigarettes and, more particularly, a carry device and method for carrying the cartridge component of an electronic cigarette device. The device has the aspect of a early tin and utilizes a blister pack-style dispenser for preservation and dispensing of individual cartridges carried within the carry device.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, in one embodiment, a carry device 10 consistent with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The carry device 10, in this embodiment, is a four-sided case having a lid 12 mounted on a case body 14. In one embodiment, the lid 12 may be hinge-mounted to the case body 14. As illustrated below in FIGS. 4 and 6, where a hinge is utilized, it may be positioned along either a long or short side of lid 12/case body 14.

Retained within the case body 14 is a blister-pack style dispenser 16, adapted to retain and dispense at least one and preferably a plurality of electronic cigarette cartridges 18. The dispenser 16 may comprise a plurality of blister cavities, each adapted to hold a cartridge 18, backed by a lidding seal 20 or foil or plastic or the like. The lidding seal 20 may, optionally, have a company name or other desired name or image printed thereon, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 1-2. It may be desired to further provide a security or safety film 22 over the lidding seal 20, which would be removed prior to use of the device 10 as described herein.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1-2 as described herein, the carry case 10 is open at the underside thereof, so that when the dispenser 16 is retained therein, the cartridges 18 may be dispensed therefrom through the open underside of carry case 10 through lidding seal 20. The dispenser 16 may be fixedly retained within the case body 14 or, optionally, may be removably retained therein. If the dispenser 16 is removably retained, for example by resting a perimeter of the dispenser 16 on a shelf (not shown) or the like along an interior of the case body 14, a user may remove the dispenser 16 when empty and insert a new dispenser 16 into the carry device 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, it can be seen that in one embodiment, a window 24 may be provided on lid 12, so that a user may determine whether at least one cartridge 18 is present within the carry device 10 without the need to open the lid 12. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the window 24 is shown as dimensioned to be about the size of a single cartridge 18, and is located proximate an end of the dispenser 16. In this configuration, a user would want to dispense from the opposite end of the dispenser 16, so that the last remaining cartridge 18 would be the one visible through window 24. In that way, if a user saw through window 24 that there was no cartridge 18, the user would know that all cartridges 18 had been dispensed. Optionally, it may be desired to provide a larger window 24, having an ability to display the presence (or non-presence) of more than one cartridge 18.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, in one embodiment, a connection seam 26, between the lid 12 and the carry body 14, is provided. The seam may, optionally, be molded from amorphous thermoplastic copolymer such as ABS. An interior of the seam 26 (not shown) may contain the shelf referenced above, for positioning thereon of the dispenser 16.

As shown by way of example in FIGS. 5 and 7, the perimeter edges of the lid 12 and the carry body 14 may be right angled or rounded.

The lid 12 and case body 14 may be comprised of any desired material, including for example tin.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-11, a carry device 100 consistent with another embodiment of the present invention is shown. The carry device 100, in this embodiment, is a four-sided case having a lid 112 mounted on a case body 114. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10-11, the lid 112 may be hinge-mounted to the case body 114.

Retained within the carry device 100 and/or interposed between the lid 112 and the case body 114 is an insert 116. As shown in FIGS. 8-9, the insert 116 is adapted to retain and dispense at least one and preferably a plurality of electronic cigarette cartridges 118. The insert 116 may comprise a plurality of cavities, each adapted to hold a single cartridge 118. Optionally, the cavities may be sealed—as best seen in FIG. 8—wherein a user can remove an individual seal to extract a cartridge 118. Where the cavities are sealed, it may be desired to provide an insert 116 formed as a blister pack.

In one embodiment, as shown in these figures, the insert 116 additionally includes a cavity dimensioned to hold a partially or fully-assembled electronic cigarette 117. (Where the electronic cigarette 117 is fully-assembled, it will include both the cartridge and battery components, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 8-9. Alternately, the cavity may be dimensioned to only hold the battery component of the electronic cigarette 117.) As shown in FIG. 9, finger inserts 121 may optionally be provided, to facilitate ready removal of the electronic cigarette (or electronic cigarette batter) from insert 116.

In one embodiment, the insert 116 is adhered to the case body 114, so that it may not be removed therefrom. Alternatively, the insert 116 may be removable, so that it may be replaced when empty.

As shown by way of example in FIGS. 10-11, the perimeter edges of the early device 100 may be beveled or rounded.

This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited by these exemplary embodiments. Numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification, such as variations in structure, dimension, type of material and manufacturing process may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic cigarette container comprising: a case body; a lid attached to the case body; and a blister type packaging retained within the case body, wherein the blister type package has a plurality of blister cavities for holding a cartridge.
 2. The electronic cigarette container of claim 1, further comprising: an opening formed on a bottom section of the case body exposing the blister type packaging when the blister type packaging is retained in the case body; and a lidding seal formed over the opening.
 3. The electronic cigarette container of claim 2, further comprising a safety seal formed over the lidding seal.
 4. The electronic cigarette container of claim 1, further comprising a window formed on the lid.
 5. The electronic cigarette container of claim 1, further comprising a connection seamed formed on the between the case body and the lid.
 6. The electronic cigarette container of claim 1, wherein the lid is hingly coupled to the case body.
 7. The electronic cigarette container of claim 6, wherein the lid is hingly coupled along a length of the case body.
 8. The electronic cigarette container of claim 6, wherein the lid is hingly coupled along a width of the case body.
 9. An electronic cigarette container comprising: a case body; a lid attached to the case body; a blister type packaging retained within the case body, wherein the blister type package has a plurality of blister cavities for holding a cartridge for an electronic smoking device, an opening formed on a bottom section of the case body exposing the blister type packaging when the blister type packaging is retained in the case body; a lidding seal formed over the opening; and a safety seal formed over the lidding seal.
 10. The electronic cigarette container of claim 9, further comprising a window formed on the lid.
 11. The electronic cigarette container of claim 9, further comprising a connection seamed foamed on the between the case body and the lid.
 12. The electronic cigarette container of claim 9, wherein the lid is hingly coupled to the case body.
 13. The electronic cigarette container of claim 12, wherein the lid is hingly coupled along a length of the case body.
 14. The electronic cigarette container of claim 12, wherein the lid is hingly coupled along a width of the case body.
 15. An electronic cigarette container comprising: a case body; a lid attached to the case body; an insert positioned within the case body, the insert having a plurality of first cavities to house a smoking device cartridge therein.
 16. The electronic cigarette container of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of first cavities is sealed.
 17. The electronic cigarette container of claim 15, wherein the insert further comprises an electronic cigarette cavity to house one of an electronic cigarette or battery.
 18. The electronic cigarette container of claim 17, further comprising finger inserts positioned adjacent to the electronic cigarette cavity.
 19. The electronic cigarette container of claim 15, wherein the insert is a blister type package.
 20. The electronic cigarette container of claim 15, wherein the lid is hingly coupled to the case body. 